George f



. UNITED STATES j PATENT OFFICE.-

GEORGE F. STURGESS, OF LEICESTEIENGLAND.

KNlTTING-MACHlN-E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,856, dat-ciad May30, 1899.

Application filed November 14, 1898. Serial No. 696,446. (No model.)

To LZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. STURGESS, hosiers engineer, a subject ofthe Queen of England, residing at the lnglenook, Leicester, in thecounty of Leicester, England, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Knitting-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to transfer loops in the simple domesticcircular type of stocking-knitting machine, to which, owing to thenecessarily-restricted dimensions of the radial needle-bed and limitedspace for operation, the present cumbersome transfer devices are notadaptable, thereby obtaining a compact and simple transfer device whichavoids the disadvantages of existing transfer devices, and, furthermore,applicable to existing fine-gage as well as coarse-gage machines, whichhas not been heretofore accomplished. l i

To that end the invention consists of the following improvedconstruction and combination: first, a needle having its flexible endtwisted and bent out of line of the needle and hookward into aloop-expanding shoulder and its knitting-stem set down to a loopstoppingshoulder in a manner so as to retain the usual width or gage anddimensions of the needle and needle-groove and also retain the simpleform of needle-foot, consequently maintaining the maximum strength ofthe parts and the simple form of knitting-cams existing in this class ofmachine; secondly, a needle-bed the grooves ot' which are integral withvthe base and are opened out in a manner that sufficient loop-clearanceis given at the base of the grooves, While the upper parts of thegrooves, extending beyond the base, remain unopened to support the feetof the needles when thrust beyond the knittingpoint to thetransferring-point, avoiding the compound or built-up bed formerlyemployed and maintaining the maximum strength of the ordinaryneedle-bed.

It will suffice to describe my invention as applied to the slidinglatch-needle, from which :its application to a4 sliding bearded needlewill be obvious.

Figure l is a sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan, ofthe needle-bedof the radial type used in the domestic knitter, containing a theloop-expanding shoulder 3 of the flexible end 4 of the needle, which isfolded hookward and bent and twisted to the side of the needleline intoa loop-expanding shoulder B, terminating in a needle-point 6 forward ofthe foot ,which isof the ordi nary simple type and level with theknitting-stem, which is set down, forming a loop-stopping shoulder 7,the whole needle except the latch being formed out of one piece of wire.The loop-expandin g shoulder is suiciently flexible to contract to aposition beneath the inflexible stem of the needle proper,whereby theneedle is not reduced, and consequently weakened, or the needlegroovesenlarged or their supporting-walls consequently weakened, as is the casein existin g transfer-needles,where the loop-expand. ing shoulder closeson the side of the needle. Therefore owing to its construction theneedle conforms to the normal dimensions and conditions of ordinaryneedles and needlegrooves of this type. Shallow openings 10 are cut inthe needle-grooves l5, with a V- shaped tool set at an angle to the baseof the groove, obtaining adequate clearance for the casting of the loopll and leaving the grooves unopened at their upper part and continued orprojecting beyond the base of the bed, allowing the needles to be thrustbeyond the knitting-point for the purpose of transferring without theneedle-feet losing the support of the needle-grooves and keeping thewalls 12 stronger in this part than in the ordinary bed even, and thewalls of the grooves and the base being integral, avoiding the built-upor compound bed used heretofore.

The needle is operated by the foot-5 engaging cams, the construction ofwhich is so well known as not to require repetition here. In

operation this transfer-needle 8 knits loops in the ordinary manner, andin order to transfer a loop it is thrust beyond the knittingpoint to thetransfer-point, (seen on the left side of the drawings,) the point 6ofthe tail piercing the loop, which thereupon mounts theloop-expandingshoulder 3 and loop-stop- IOO ping shoulder 7 and isopened out or diverted sidewise to admit the hook of the adjacent needle13 of the other set,which being timed to so act by the action of cams,the construction of which is well known, slides upward between theknitting-stern 2 and the loop-expanding shoulder 3, penetrating theknitted loop 11. The needle S then withdraws, the flexibleloop-expanding shoulder yielding to the passage out of the needle 13,the loop of the needle S being linked around the needle 13.

I declare that what I claim is- 1. A knitting-machine provided with anecdle-bed, the needle-grooves of which are integral with and extendbeyond the base of the bed, and have angular openings affordingclearance for the loops in the lower part of the grooves, the upper partof the grooves being unopened, affording support for the needle-feet atthe transfer-point forward of the knitting-point,- and a transfer-needletherefor, having its flexible end bent out of the needle-line to form aloop-expanding should er forward ofthe needle-foot, said loop-eXpand ing shoulder conformable to the normal width of the needle and theneedle-groove, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A slidable knitting-needle, having its fiexible end bent from theneedle-line to form a loop-expanding shoulder forward of the nee-Adle-foot, said loop-expanding shoulder leonformable to the normal Widthof the needle, whereby the maximum width of the needle and the minimumwidth of the needle-groove are retained, and the transferring deviceapplied without reducing the strength of the said parts, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

3. A slidable knitting-needle, having its flexible end bent from theneedle-line to form a loop-expanding shoulder forward of theneedle-foot, the knitting-stem set down to the ln'e of theloop-expanding shoulder, forming a loop-stopping shoulder, saidloop-eXpand ing shoulder conformable to the normal width of the needle,whereby the maximum width of the needle and the minimum width of theneedle-groove are retained, and the transferring device applied withoutreducing the strength of the said parts, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

Dated this 5th day of November, 1898.

GEO. F. -STURGESS.

Witnesses:

E. BnooKsBY, THOMAS SooTT.

